Trench bracing



Sept. 13, 1932. J. c. MEEM: 1,877,351

TRENCH BRACING Filed May 7. 1928 i ii 11- INVENTOR. Jana; 6 Meal A; ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 JAMES c. MEEM, OEBROOKLYN, NEW. Yonx, AssIeNon ro UNDERPINNING Ann FOUN- DATION'COMPANY, or NEWIYOBK, N. Y..,..A.C.ORPORATIO1 OF VNEW.YORK I mnesesl s 5 Application i filed. May 7;

This invention relates to trench bracing mcans'and particularly to means forftem porarily bracingth e soil and tosupport adjacent structures and an overhead deck 'such as a street during excavating "operations in the Construction of trenches subways, tun I V l Filling material such as concrete mdlcated at nets and the like.

in, bullding subways and tunnels part cularly under streets, it has been customary before excavating to deck overthe streets and underpin adjacent buildings indep'end ently of the trench ln ac1ng,us1ng heavy brac ings and sheeting mater al for these purposes. Thismethod has been objectionable because it entails conside able materials and 131101 and duplication of bracing.

The object of this invention is to overcome these ectionable features inbracings I for? subway and tunnel excavations and toi pro-i vide an efficient bracingineans' which; will.

save materials and laboran d simultaneously brace the excavat ons, underpin the ad acent bu ldings and support. the, overhead deck eatin the bracin 's.

forming the street surface Without compli j vention will be apparent "from the "following specification and drawing; in which Fig. 1 is'a sectional view of a trench bracing constructed in accordance with this in vention, for a subway excavation below the surface of a street.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified trench bracing constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 4 is a View taken on line 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed view showing the connection between the metal sheathing and the sheet piling.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the vertical pits l and 11 3-3 of Fig.

7 are sunk and excavated on opposite sides of the street. These pits are protected by a lining or sheathing such as the box sheeting 12 through the dry soil to the water line 13. The pit 11, as shown in Fig. 1, is extended below the water line 13 by means of a sheet piling as; as?

Haiti Serial; i r p 15L which extends through thewets oil. With in these pitsl Q 'a'nd lliwithini the area bou'nded by the box sheeting and'sheet pll'lngi'are placed the "vertical supports am 1 6 illus warrant beconcrae or wooden beams.

17' and '18 is-poured around the vertical sup-y ports15 and 16 to secure the supports Within the box sheeting and sheet piling ;forn11ng" dams orgirderstbut if conditions solid verticalsupports. The concrete filler extends" to a point of the pitselected as the position for the longitudinal "cross braces. The vertical supporting in- F Qigi; 1; provides a support or underpinnin for the building*l9."*

near the vertical supports 15 and 1e are in a Y girder 16, as sheenplace the soil is excavated therebetweendown to the level of the concrete within the box sheetings and the longitudinal cross braces 20 which may be 'I-be'am's, girders or wooden"- beams are then connected directly to'the vertica l supports 15 andld'by angles 21 which may be bolted to the support an d-bracingsi Thestreet" surface is thereafter decked over i by a decking of planks 22 whichis supported by the longitudinal braces'QOthrough the in:

'termediate supporting structure 23fbuilt up "from 'the cross braces.*"The excavating unfder thecr'ossbraces 20 'canthereaftei' proceed Without interference to remove the :soil indi-f' As the excavating of-the soil 24 proceeds; sheathing material '25 spaced in position between the adjacent pits for preventing'cav "ing in of the soil between adjacent pits, which may be provided if necessary with "diagonal cross braces 26 connected to the cross braces I 20. In'the' portion ofthe excavation where the soilis wet and sheet piling such 14 has; been used, metal sheet piling 27 preferably in the form of a bow is connected to and between thepilings 14,as shown in Figs; 2' and 5'. The vertical su ports- 15 and 16 being embedded in concrete "are'of sufficient" strength loads in "opposite directionst'o the cross braces? 20, supporting the streetldeckrggand underf I g i after excavationto transmitthe s'oil pressure and 2. In this structure the vertical sup-,

wherein the pits can be spaced at a greater dis- "tance lengthwise of the excavation than is,-

possible in'the" construction shown in Figs. 1

ports 28 and 29 are also embeddedin concrete with box sheeting for, the protection of the pits and for forming a mould for the concrete.

The excavating afterthe vertical supports,

are in place, extends to the level of the concrete embedding the supports and thereafter 'the'longitudinal supports 30 and 31 are bolted or otherwise-secured to the vertical-supports 28 and 29in the direction ofthe ex;

cavation. Longitudinal cross braces 32 are thereafteri pla ced in position and connected crosswise at the vertical supports 28 and 29 to the longitudinal supports 30 and 31 by means of angles 33, The street deck 34 is thenbuilt, up from the' cross braces 32 with the intermediate supporting structure 35.

i As the excavatingproceeds sheathing mate rial 3G is placed longitudinally of e the excavation between the adjacent vertical supports, being reenforced .at intervals by the supports 37 placed between the sheathing materi'al36 and the longitudinal supports 30.

Th e, trench bracings ofthis invention are especially adapted for construction in trenches, subways and tunnels, but are not so restricted and can be used in any building constructionrequiring vertical and longitu dinalbracingQ I -I claim:

. I 1.'The method of excavating trenches, sub-' and beneath said girders in the line of excajva'tion, ;and placing sheeting material 'between pits along the line of excavation as the excavation progresses to form coil'retamingwalls which are supported by and transmit the soil pressures to said vertical girders. I v V c I 2. The method of excavatlng trenches, sub

on opposite side's-thereof, erecting vertical reenforced metallic"supports therein, secur 7 ing longitudinal horizontal supporting mem bers to adjacent vertical metallic-supports along the line of excavation, securing cross braces to opposite vertical metallic supports," a excavating the soil between said vertical sup--' portsalong'the line of excavation, anderecting soil 'retaining'walls between adjacentver I tical supports as the excavation progresses. e

4. The method of excavating trenches,

in sinking pits alongthe line of excavation on opposite sides th'ereo'flplacing vertical metallic supports therein, lling said pits with reenforcing material to encase said versubways,tunnels and the like which consists c tical supports to a distance below the ground level suflicient to accommodate a trafiic bearing decking structure, excavating between said pits along the line of excavation to the top oi said. reenforcing materiahsecuring cross braces to said vertical supports, erecting a traflic bearing decking structure on said cross braces, and continuingjthe excavation below the said deckinguntil the excavation is completed,

5. The method of vexcavating trenches, subways, tunnels and thelike which-consists Qin sinking pits along the line of excavationon opposite sides thereof, placing'vertical metallic supports therein,- filling said pits with reenforcingmaterial to encase said vertical supports to a distance below the ground level sufiicient to accommodate a trailic bear-. ing decking structure, excavating between said pits along the line of excavation'to the top of the reenforcing material, securing cross braces to said vertical supports, erecting a traflic bearing decking on said cross braces, continuing the excavation below the said decking ,until the excavation is completed, and forming soil retaining walls between ,adjacent pits as the excavation progrosses. 7

- JAMES o." I

ways, tunnels and the like which consists in placing spaced vertical supports along the line of excavat on on-opposlte s des thereof,

securing cross braces'to opposite vertical supports,,remov1ng the soil between said sup- 7 ports and beneath said cross braces, and inserting soil retaining wall forming members between said supportsalong the line of excas vation asthe excavation progresses to form 7 soil retaining walls which aresupported-by and transmit the soil pressures to the vertical supports.

7 3. The method of excavating. trenches,

- subways,-tunnels and the li'ke which. consists insinking pits along the line of excavation 

